After graduation, Tapping continued to study Theatrical Arts while performing in several stage productions. She appeared in several television commercials and played a variety of roles in television and film productions, such as The Outer Limits and The X-Files. She also formed a comedy troupe, the "Random Acts", with collaborators Katherine Jackson and Anne Marie Kerr, in Toronto in the early 1990s.[3]

Tapping is best known for her portrayal of Samantha Carter in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, which debuted in 1997. After SG-1 aired its final episode, Tapping reprised the role of Samantha Carter on Stargate Atlantis as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition.[4] In Season 5, however, Tapping's role on the show was reduced to that of "special guest-star" with only occasional appearances[5] because she chose to focus her attention on the development of a new series for Syfy called Sanctuary. The show expanded on an original series of eight webisodes released on the internet in 2007. The bulk of the scenery and characters were entirely green screen and CGI creations. Tapping served as both star and Executive Producer of the show.

Tapping was reportedly working with William Shatner on a 2011 animated webisode series "The Zenoids", written by Alan Dean Foster. Tapping and Shatner voice characters, and Tapping is Executive Producer.[6]

Tapping married Alan Kovacs in 1994. As of 2004, she lives with her husband in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tapping has one daughter, Olivia, born on 22 March 2005. She has two living brothers, Richard and Christopher. A third brother, Steven, died in December 2006.[11]